Bahrain

Lord Patten: To ask her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the 4 September decision of a Bahraini appeals court to uphold the conviction of opposition figures for allegedly plotting to overthrow the state.  [HL2202]

Baroness Warsi: We were very disappointed by the Bahrain civilian court's decision to uphold all the sentences of 13 political activists in Bahrain on 4 September. Reports at the time these individuals were sentenced, acknowledged by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, suggested that some had been abused in detention, denied access to legal counsel and were coerced into confessing.
We urge the Bahraini Government to ensure the human rights and freedoms of their citizens are fully upheld at all times. We are aware that the defendants can now appeal to the Cassation Court. We expect this process to be conducted thoroughly and with urgency, while ensuring due legal process is followed. We will continue to monitor the appeal process very closely.

Health: Cigarettes

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of possible links between the use of electronic cigarettes and nicotine addiction. HL2149

Earl Howe: There are a number of products on the market which claim to contain nicotine, such as electronic cigarettes, which are widely available but are not licensed medicines. Currently, any nicotine-containing product (NCP) which claims or implies that it can treat nicotine addiction is considered to be a medicinal product. This approach has allowed NCPs which do not make such claims to be used and sold without the safeguards built into the regulation of medicinal products.
Electronic cigarettes are caught by the provisions of the General Product Safety Directive and associated regulations. Some electronic cigarettes have been tested by local authority trading standards departments and have been found to pose a potential danger to consumers. The available data suggest that there can be great variability in the content of electronic cigarettes, both in the amount of nicotine present and also in relation to other potentially toxic substances.
Electronic cigarettes are not currently regulated as medicines, which are required to meet appropriate standards of safety, quality and efficacy. In March 2011, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) published the outcome of a public consultation on whether to bring all nicotine-containing products within the medicines licensing regime. The response to consultation suggested there was strong support for MHRA regulation. The response to consultation also highlighted the need for further information to inform a decision and the MHRA is co-ordinating further scientific and market research with a view to a final decision on the application of medicines regulation in spring 2013.

House of Lords: Leader's Group on Working Practices

Lord Butler of Brockwell: To ask the Leader of the House whether he will publish a list of the actions taken by him in response to each of the recommendations of the Leader's Group on Working Practices.  [HL2210]

Lord Strathclyde: I refer the noble Lord to my Answer to the noble Lord, Lord Grocott, on 25 July (HL Hansard, col. WA 164).

Liikanen High-level Expert Group

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made a submission to the Liikanen High-level Expert Group on structural aspects of the European Union banking sector; and, if so, whether they will place a copy of the response in the Library of the House.  [HL2228]

Lord Sassoon: The Government have not made a submission to the Liikanen High-level Expert Group but look forward to reviewing its conclusions once the group's final report is published. The recent financial crisis demonstrated that structural reform of banks is a necessary step towards increasing their resilience and resolvability. To this end, the Government are pushing forward with their own structural reforms based on the recommendations of the Independent Commission on Banking.

Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint: Questions

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask the Leader of the House why Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint answers only questions relating to UK Trade & Investment and not questions on other matters for which the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is responsible.  [HL2208]

Lord Strathclyde: My remarks on 23 July (HL Deb, cols. 481-84) were in response to a Question specifically asking about questions that relate to Lord Green's ministerial responsibilities. As the Ministerial Code makes clear, it is for the Prime Minister to decide on the allocation of Ministers' functions and responsibilities.

Nuclear Fuel Banks

Lord Browne of Ladyton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy on the creation of international nuclear fuel banks; and what steps they have taken to support efforts to establish such banks. 
 [HL2196
]

Baroness Verma: The UK, through its membership of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has strongly supported all recent steps to provide assurances of supply (of nuclear fuel) that help build confidence for those states considering nuclear power. These measures include the so-called "IAEA LEU bank", approved in principle by the board in December 2010, with the financial backing of several partners including the EU, and the UK's own proposal for a Nuclear Fuel Assurance.

Office of Fair Trading: Market Study into Dentistry

Lord Lea of Crondall: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will respond to the report by the Office of Fair Trading Dentistry: an OFT market study, published in May 2012.  [HL2150
]

Earl Howe: The Government Response to the Office of Fair Trading Market Study into Dentistry was published on the department's website on 24 August 2012. This was within the 90-day limit in which the Government have to respond to Office of Fair Trading market studies.
This document has been placed in the Library and is available on the department's website at: www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/08/market-study-into-dentistry.

Olympic Games and Paralympic Games 2012: Security

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many phases of negotiations between G4S and the Home Office were necessary in order to determine the final number of security staff needed for the 2012 Olympic Games; on how many occasions the (1) numbers of such staff, and (2) contract price, were adjusted and by what percentage on each occasion; and what were the exact dates on which (a) the necessity for each increase was notified by G4S, and (b) each was agreed by the Home Office. [HL1637]

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The contract to provide security staff for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is between the London Organising Committee, LOCOG, and G4S. The Government have not changed the basic requirement since the Olympic Security Strategy was first published in 2009: all LOCOG competition venues have always been intended to be island sites with 100% search and screening of pedestrians and vehicles.
LOCOG awarded the contract to G4S on 24 December 2010 to provide 2,000 guards. In August 2011, LOCOG began to discuss with G4S an increase in numbers under the contract. The exact number required had been refined as security planning necessarily had to follow preparations of the detailed Games competition schedule and finalising all venue plans. The deed of variation to the contract, signed by LOCOG and G4S on 15 December 2011, changed the specification so that G4S was now responsible for supplying up to 10,400 guards. The Home Office is providing �553 million to LOCOG for venue security.

Population Growth

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of when the population of London will reach 8.6 million people, its former peak, and what assessment they have made of the implications of such a size for the rest of the United Kingdom. [HL2008]

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, Director General for the Office for National Statistics, to Lord Patten, dated September 2012
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics I have been asked to reply to your question to Her Majesty's Government asking what estimate they have made of when the population of London will reach 8.6 million people. its former peak, and what assessment they have made of the implications of such a size for the rest of the United Kingdom. [HL2008]
Estimates of future population are available as population projections. The most recent sub-national population projections are based on mid-year population estimates for 2010 and they project the population of London to reach 8.6 million by mid-2016.
Sub-national population projections are not forecasts and do not attempt to predict the impact of future government policies, changing economic circumstances or the capacity of an area to accommodate a change in population. They provide an indication of the future size and age structure of the population if recent demographic trends continued.
The Office for National Statistics is an independent non-ministerial department and does not comment on any assessments of the implications of projected population size.

Rwanda: UN Sanctions Group of Experts Report

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their decision to restore some budget support to Rwanda that they suspended following the publication of a United Nations report accusing Rwanda of sponsoring rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo means they are now satisfied that Rwanda has played no part in the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. [FCO]  [HL2155]

Baroness Warsi: We believe the UN Sanctions Group of Experts report to be credible. The decision for the UK to disburse half of its delayed General Budget Support (GBS) to Rwanda, while reprogramming the balance through targeted Department for International Development (DFID) programmes, was not taken lightly. It reflects the UK's responsibility to protect the poor and was taken on a basis of the constructive role Rwanda has played in recent International Conference on Great Lake Region (ICGLR) peace talks chaired by President Museveni of Uganda. The Government of Rwanda have also continued to demonstrate their strong commitment to reducing poverty and improving their financial management. Concerns remain over Rwandan involvement with the M23 rebels. The next disbursement of GBS is scheduled for December, and the final Group of Experts report will help inform our disbursement decision.